Toilet tank flush valves



Oct. 23,1956 s, M. BENNETT TOILET TANK FLUSH VALVES Filed July 1, 1954' TOILET TANK FLUSH VALVES Samuel M. Bennett, Brighton, Colo. Application July 1, 1954, Serial No. 440,728

z Claims. (Cl. 4-57) This invention relates to a toilet tank flush valve, and more particularly to the type of toilet tank flush valve illustrated and described in applicants Patent No. 2,598,967. The principal Iobject of this invention is to provide a ilush valve for toilet tanks which canbe quickly and easily inserted in the conventional tank by an unskilled person without the use of tools, and toprovide a flush valve which will eliminate the usual flush valve rods and guides employed on conventional flush tanks.

Another Iobject of the invention is to construct a flush valve of the type illustrated in the applicants said prior patent which will have greater buoyancy and greater flexibility than the valve illustrated in the said prior patent, and to provide a ilush valve of the latter type which will retain its buoyancy indefinitely, and which can be conveniently and economically manufactured as a complete unit on standard rubber molding equipment.

Other objects and advantages reside in the det-ail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy and eiciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section through the lower portion of a conventional toilet tiush tank, illustrating the closed position of the improved toilet flush valve in solid line, and the open position thereof n broken line;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the improved valve;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view thereof; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, longitudinal section, taken on the line 1 -4, Fig. 2.

In Fig. l, la conventional toilet iiush tank is illustrated in section at 1t) containing the usual flush valve tting 11 with its ilared upper extremity 12 originally designed to receive the conventional flush ball valve of the tank. ln a conventional tank, an overliow pipe 13 arises from an elbow 14 formed on the iitting 11, and the tting 11 communicates through the bottoni of the tank with the conventional toilet flush pipe 15.

The improved toilet flush valve is designed to be mounted about the overflow pipe 13 and t-o resiliently rest upon the upper annular edge of the llared portion 12 of the fitting 11. The improved valve is molded as a very llexible, unitary structure, and comprises a cylindrical overtlow pipe collar 16 upon which a llexible cross bar 17 is molded so as to extend oppositely outward across one side, which will be herein designated the :rear side, of the collar 16.

Two exceedingly flexible hinge arms 18 extend forwardly from the upper portion of the extremities of the cross bar 17. These arms support a semi-circular sealing disc 19. The bottom of the disc 19 and the bottoms of the arms 18 are smooth, unobstructed and in alignment with each other. The mid-portion `.of the valve is open as indicated by the opening 28.

States Patent O ice The sealing disc 19 is provided with an arcuate, rear shelf portion 20 having a lesser peripheral radius than the remainder of the disc. A peripheral stiifening bead 26 is molded on the upper surface of the valve about the entire-periphery thereof, and a similar stifening bead 27 is molded about the opening 2S in the valve.

A chain attachment lug 29 is molded on the upper surface of the valve 'adjacent the forward extremity thereof to receive an` attachment ring 30 of a exible lifting chain 31.

A flexible air dome 21 is integrally formed on and arises from the upper surface of the disc 19. A semi-eggshaped, hollow lloat bulb 22 extends downwardly from the disc 19 and opens to the interior of the dome 21 to form a relatively large, internal air chamber 23. The float bulb 22 is provided with `a round opening in its bottom through which the die which molds the interior of the air chamber 23 is removed.

The round opening in the bottom of the float bulb 22 is elo-sed by means of a flat, circular .rubber plug 24 provided with an indented peripheral groove 25 into which the annular wall of the bottom opening is received to retain the plug is place. The .plug is not sealed to or cemented in position, but is simply retained therein by the natural resiliency of the rim of the bottom opening.

The improved flush valve is installed by stretching the collar 16 about the overflow pipe 13 and sliding the collar downwardly on the pipe until the sealing disc 19 easily rests upon the upper extremity of the fitting 11 with the float bulb 22 extending there within. The chain 31 is then connected to the conventional flush lever of the toilet in any desired manner so that a slight looseness or slack is retained in the chain.

lt can be seen that when the valve is in the closed position of Fig. l, the weight lof the water in the tank will hold the sealing disc 19 snugly Iagainst the fitting 11 to prevent leakage. lt can also be seen that when the ilush lever is operated for the usual toilet flushing operation, the chain 31 will be pulled upwardly to release the disc 19 from the tting 11 and cause the air cavity 23 to displace water so as to become buoyant. The natural buoyancy of this air cavity will then cause the latter to float upwardly, ilexing the arms 1S and twisting the extremities of the bar 17 to the broken line position of Fig. 1. As the level of the water in the tank 10 lowers, the air cavity will gradually iloat downwardly until the sealing disc 19 again -rests upon the fitting 11 to prevent further discharge of the water.

The speed with which the valve closes can be regulated to provid-e any desired ushing interval by raising or lowering the position of the collar 16 on the overllow pipe 13. The higher the collar is positioned on the pipe, the slower will be the closing action. It is preferred to position the collar slightly above the top of the litting 11 so that the arms 18 wil-l be slightly flexed, as shown in Fig. 1, when the disc is in the closed position. By reason of the eX- ceeding ilexibility of the hinge arms 1S and the flexible cross bar 17, the weight of the float bulb 22 Vand disk 19 is sumcient to seat the valve when the water in the tank is suiliciently discharged. Thus the valve will be properly seated even though the arms 18 `are flexed different amounts in accordance with the adjustment required for the desi-red regulation fof the flushing interval.

It is desired to call particular attention to the dome 21, which can be fonmed with any desired capacity, and which serves to displace water above the sealing disc even when the valve is closed so as to increase the buoyancy ofthe entire valve and provide a more rapid and positive opening action.

Should the float bulb 22 become compressed or indented from rough handling or the like, the natural resiliency thereof will slowly expand the bulb, drawing air therein about the unsealed periphery of the plug 24. The plug, however, prevents water from splashing or flowing into the bu'lb, since at no time is there any pressure on the water tending to force it therein.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the `same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A flush valve for toilet tanks comprising; an integral unitary ilexible resilient valve structure having a vertical sleeve formed therein adapted to closely t the overflow pipe of a Hush tank; a narrow exible bar formed on the rear of said sleeve and extending horizontally on both sides thereof; a pair of narrow exceedingly exible hinge arms extending forwardly from the extremities of said bar and merging integrally with a valve disk adapted to seat on the mouth of the tting through which the water is discharged; a semi-egg-shaped hollow float bulb extending downwardly centrally of .said valve disk and adapted to lenter the mouth of said fitting when the valve is seated thereon; the flexibility of said hinge arms and said bar being of a degree to permit the weight of the disk and bulb to seat the Valve upon its seat, when the level of the water discharging through said tting drops bel-ow the point where it is sui'lcient to oat the valve; the weight of said disk and bulb being suicient to drop below the horizontal plane of the arms, said weight overcoming the resiliency of said arms and bar which tend to maintain said arms and disk in the same horizontal plane; said sleeve being adjustable vertically on said overflow pipe to vary the time of discharge of water from said tank Without disturbing the proper closing of the valve when the level of the water drops as aforesaid.

2. A ush valve for toilet tanks as dened in claim l, in which said bulb is formed with a bottom opening; and a grooved plug interlocking with the rim of said opening to prevent the entrance 0f water into the bulb when the valve is swung about its flexible hinge for flushing the tank.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 13,658 Willetts Dec. 16, 1913 1,128,980 Hobble Feb. 16, 1915 1,660,749 Haas Feb. 28, 1928 2,142,393 Halteman Jan. 3, 1939 2,171,447 Heath Aug. 29, 1939 2,520,059 Reeves Aug. 22, 1950 2,598,967 Bennett June 3, 1952 2,643,393 Karr June 30, 1953 

